Swallow-tailed kite

Swallow-tailed kite
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Accipitriformes
Sub-order	Accipitres
Family Information
Superfamily	Accipitroidea
Family	Accipitridae
Genus Information
Genus	Elanoides
Species Information
Species	E. forficatus
Synonyms	Falco forficatus
Population statistics
Conservation status	Least concern

The swallow-tailed kite (Elanides forficatus) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and the only species of the genus Elanoides. It is found over much of the subtropical and tropical areas of the Americas.

Description

The swallow-tailed kite has a body length of 19.3 to 25.6 inches, a wingspan of 44.9 to 50 inches, and weigh from 14.9 to 15.5 ounces. Females are slightly larger than males. In appearance the pointed wings and the long, deeply-forked tail make it resemble a large swallow.

The beak is black, the skin is dark blue gray, with a waxy appearance. The iris is red. Head, neck, underside, under wing coverts and leg feathers are white, contrasting with the upper part of the body, wings, and tail a bluish-black color, with the shoulder feathers to the upper wing coverts sometimes shimmering with a metallic purple, greenish or bronze colors. Legs and feet are light blue-gray, and rather small in size.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized, distinguished by the coloration of the back plumage. The northern subspecies bears a purple sheen and longer tail feathers, while the southern subspecies bears greenish to bronze back feather sheen.

• Elanoides forficatus forficatus; southeastern coastal United States to northern Mexico and Yucatan.
• Elanoides forficatus yetapa; southern Mexico through Central America, south to eastern Bolivia, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.